EI changes studied by Atlantic premiers

Atlantic Canada's premiers have concluded some hard research is required on recent changes to Canada's employment insurance system.

The commissioning of a report is one of the outcomes of the premiers' meeting in Nova Scotia, which ended Monday.

At the closing news conference, the premiers argued the changes, which require people to travel further to find work and accept work at lower pay, do not recognize the realities of seasonal economies such as those found in Atlantic Canada.

P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz believes the EI changes were made without research to show what the effects might be.

"Look at our local labour markets on how these changes to the EI system have affected our labour force, how it's affected the workers, how it's affected the companies," said Ghiz.

"Take that research to the federal government to show them that the decisions, from our perspective, are not working in terms of dealing with a seasonal economy."

Ghiz said the study should be complete by the fall. All four Atlantic premiers are calling on Ottawa to reverse the EI changes.

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